


this love is good.

by msaudreyanne



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/M, Fluff, One-Shot, Post-Canon, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:35:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28972926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/msaudreyanne/pseuds/msaudreyanne
Summary: tumblr prompt - ice skating, requested by joyfulsongbirdcross-posted
Relationships: Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Comments: 6
Kudos: 37





	this love is good.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [joyfulsongbird](https://archiveofourown.org/users/joyfulsongbird/gifts).



Her hands stilled in Peeta’s hair at his words. They’d been lying on the couch in the living room, Peeta reading a book with his head in her lap and Katniss absentmindedly playing with his hair.

She’d been so lost in the soothing cadence of his voice that she didn’t quite catch his question at first, and asked him to repeat it.

“We went ice skating in the Capitol, real or not real?”

It was such an out of the blue question, even for Peeta. Normally, when he needed to clarify a memory with her, something had triggered it, but she couldn’t figure out what had prompted him to think of that specific event.

“Real.” She cleared her throat and shifted a bit, careful not to disturb him too much from his spot.

“Was that…was that before though?”

Katniss knew exactly what he was asking, then. He wanted to know if ice skating had happened before he figured out she had been pretending to return his feelings. The guilt bubbled in her stomach as she remembered how much she’d hurt him.

“It was before the Quarter Quell was announced. They made us go to some event there was a skating rink. Effie had thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for us to appear happy and in love, and Haymitch agreed.”

She noted his expression sadden and her self-loathing threatened to consume her. Why could she never stop hurting him?

Before he could say anything, she continued on with her recollection of that day. Katniss knew just how easy it would be to come to the conclusion that she’d faked her excitement and joy that day. Even Haymitch had made a snide comment at the time that she needed to tone it down or others would become suspicious.

But she _had_ enjoyed herself. And now, more than she’d anticipated, she needed to let Peeta know the truth.

“You were so nervous, with your new leg, but I told you I’d keep you safe; keep you steady.” Her fingers went back to his hair, tracing the muscles in his face, desperate to remind herself that Peeta was here, with her, and they were not in the Capitol.

“We stuck to the railing for the most part, but you held my hand the entire time. Some Capitol children zipped by us and we almost fell, but I caught us in time. I’ll never forget the glare you sent after them. It was so unlike you, but it made me laugh and for a moment it felt like it was just us.”

Her story done; Katniss waited for Peeta to mull over it. She wasn’t the best at expressing herself with words, but she hoped he was able to understand that that moment had been real for her, too.

To her relief, he smiled softly, closing his eyes. “I remember now. That was a good day for us, wasn’t it?”

“One of my favorites. But what made you think of ice skating, Peeta?”

His eyes opened and he looked up at her thoughtfully.

“I was just remembering what you had said earlier about the lake where we swam being frozen over. I wonder if it’d be sturdy enough to skate on.”

Ah. She had reported that back to him this morning after she returned from hunting. “I suppose it would. I don’t see why not? It’s been below freezing for about a month now. But we don’t have any skates.”

Peeta’s eyes slid shut as she pointed out the flaw in his plan, but his smile now was secretive. Katniss knew she could press him for more – since the war, they were unable to keep things from each other – but she let him have this.

The fighting might’ve ended, but this was still District 12. The luxuries of the Capitol were few and far between. In some ways, Katniss preferred the simplicity that her district maintained. She still traded at the Hob and sometimes Peeta would come as well, his cheese buns a popular item among vendors. The somewhat normalcy helped the pair adjust to a life without constant fear of death and destruction.

But that also meant that they weren’t able to just go buy ice skates at the drop of a hat. They could likely send for some from the Capitol; however she knew how much they both hated doing such a thing.

Peeta didn’t mention skating again. If anything, he acted like he’d never asked the question in the first place.

He left their bed early one morning and while she was disappointed, she knew he likely had some order he needed to get started on. People of District 12 were always eager to trade for whatever Peeta Mellark had baked, but occasionally he’d entertain a request for something special.

Katniss was sorely tempted to join him under the guise of assistance, when really all she wanted was to be near him and watch him work. He really could be quite mesmerizing when he baked. But the warmth of their bed kept her in place.

She must’ve fallen back asleep at some point, because the next thing she knew, Peeta was kissing her forehead, whispering his greeting against her skin. She stretched and scrunched her nose at Peeta’s deep chuckle.

“Sleepy, are we? It’s almost lunch time, Katniss.” He stood from his crouched position next to her and waited for her to rise completely.

“I must’ve been. How was your morning?”

“Good. Productive. Listen, what do you think about a picnic for lunch?”

Her eyebrows rose in disbelief. “Peeta. It’s the middle of winter. There’s snow on the ground.”

But that didn’t seem to deter him. He smiled, looking every bit the Boy with the Bread, and the cold no longer sounded too terrible.

“You’re right. So dress warm otherwise we’ll both end up sick. Come on, I’ve already got our lunch packed downstairs.”

Perplexed, Katniss watched as he retreated down the stairs. She did as asked, because Peeta never asked her for much. But if she froze on this little adventure, she would tax him with the job of warming her up for the rest of the day.

The trek to the lake is relatively quiet. Neither of them were much for small talk, although occasionally Katniss would tease him for his loud crunching in the snow. More had fallen overnight and the forest held a serene air.

“So I’m afraid I wasn’t entirely honest with you…”

She turned to see Peeta opening the bag he’d brought with him.

“They’re no Capitol ice skates, but Greasy Sae assured me these would work better, anyways.”

He held up two pairs that looked as if they’d personally fought the war between the districts and the Capitol, but if Greasy Sae trusted them, they had no reason to doubt.

More importantly, though, Katniss attempted to process everything. Peeta had remembered skating with her in the Capitol. From an outside perspective, it was such a small memory in the grand scheme of everything they’d been through together.

But he’d remembered and wanted to clarify the memory with her. And when she told him how much that memory had meant to her, he’d gone out of his way so that they could experience it on their own terms.

“How…?”

He knew immediately what she meant and smiled. “Ah. Well I started with Haymitch. He suggested I go to Greasy Sae and sure enough she had two pairs at her disposal. Not sure if they’ll fit or not, but she only wanted two dozen cinnamon buns in exchange for them, so I thought it would be worth the chance.”

How he managed to keep this side of him – this thoughtful, sweet, and _good_ part of who he was – despite all the horrors they’d experienced…well, she only hoped she could do the same.

She wasn’t sweet like him, but she loved fiercely and she would do anything for him. Even when she was lost to the darkest parts of her mind, Peeta was the reason she fought to return to the here and now.

And he wanted to ice skate with her. At their lake. With no camera crews or audience or coaches and chaperones watching them.

They tied their skates with giddy smiles on their faces. Peeta had been right, the skates were a bit big, but it turned out to be for the best. It took a few minutes of patience to get the skate over his prosthetic, but once it was securely tied in place, Katniss held her hands out to help him stand.

He wobbled quite a bit, relying on Katniss to steady them both. She waited until he gave the signal that he was alright before gently pushing away from the edge of the lake. They didn’t venture too far, unsure of the integrity of the ice, but it was still so much fun.

While they were happy with their lives and routines, it was nice to act their age every so often and have fun like this. The war and the Capitol had taken so much from them. Katniss refused to think too hard on that though, now.

Instead, she distracted herself with Peeta’s deep rumble behind her. He’d moved to hold her waist, letting her steer them and tentatively gliding along with her.

Finally, they returned to the bank and collapsed against the snow, a pile of giggles and flushed cheeks. Katniss took a moment to appreciate Peeta; he looked so young and carefree. He must’ve felt her stare, turning to smile that smile he reserved just for the two of them.

“We should probably head back and get warmed up before Haymitch sends out a search party, huh?”

Katniss reluctantly nodded and they untied their skates before making the trudge back to their home. The energy between them charged with excitement and joy and something else that Katniss usually only felt in their bedroom at night.

Peeta felt it too, she could tell. They normally kept their public displays of affection to a minimum, but his hip kept brushing against hers, even after they returned to town. His hand found the small of her back, a familiar gesture, and the warm, rough skin slid under her coat. It was all she could do to focus on the path home…

Once home, they barely made it in the door before she was in his arms, firmly pressed against the wall. He kicked the front door shut and they were finally unrestrained in their actions.

After, when they’re both rosy-cheeked – for reasons other than the cold – and grinning at each other like a couple of idiots, Katniss leaned up to kiss the tip of Peeta’s nose.

“Thank you. Today was fun.”

“I’m glad. I like making new ‘reals’ with you.”

**Author's Note:**

> 💛💛💛


End file.
